Ulpia

Noble Spanish Roman woman
The basics

Quick Facts

IntroNoble Spanish Roman woman
PlacesItaly Holy Roman Empire
Noble
Work fieldRoyals
Gender
Female
Birth31
ResidenceItalica, Spain
Family
Siblings:Marcus Ulpius Traianus (senior)
Spouse:Aelius Hadrianus Marullinus
Children:Publius Aelius Hadrianus Afer
The details

Biography

Roman aureus struck under Trajan, c. 115. The reverse commemorates both Trajan's natural father and Ulpia's brother, Marcus Ulpius Traianus (right), and his adoptive father, the Deified Nerva (left).

Ulpia (about 31 - before 86) was a noble Spanish Roman woman from the gens Ulpia during the 1st century CE.

Life

Her mother is unknown and her paternal ancestors moved from Italy and settled in Italica (near modern Seville, Spain) in the Roman Province of Hispania Baetica in the late 3rd century BC. Her brother was Marcus Ulpius Traianus, who served as a distinguished Roman general and was the first person in her family to enter the Roman Senate. He was the biological father of Trajan, adopted son and heir of the deified Nerva.

Ulpia married a Roman Senator called Publius Aelius Hadrianus Marullinus, a wealthy and aristocratic Hispanic Roman from the gens Aelia. Ulpia and Marullinus had at least a son, Publius Aelius Hadrianus Afer, who would become a distinct Roman soldier and politician. He married a noble Spanish Roman woman called Domitia Paulina and the couple had Aelia Domitia Paulina and Publius Aelius Hadrianus or Hadrian, who was adopted by Trajan and became his heir.

Through Ulpia's brother, she was the paternal aunt to Ulpia Marciana and Trajan. She was also a great maternal aunt to Marciana's daughter Salonina Matidia and a great-great maternal aunt to Roman Empress Vibia Sabina, who married his grandson Hadrian.

Sources

Nerva–Antonine family tree

  • (1) = 1st spouse
  • (2) = 2nd spouse
  • (3) = 3rd spouse
  •   Reddish purple indicates emperor of the Nerva-Antonine dynasty

      lighter purple indicates designated imperial heir of said dynasty who never reigned

      grey indicates unsuccessful imperial aspirants

      bluish purple indicates emperors of other dynasties
  • dashed lines indicate adoption; dotted lines indicate love affairs/unmarried relationships
  • small caps = posthumously deified (Augusti, Augustae, or other)
Q. Marcius Barea SoranusQ. Marcius Barea SuraAntonia FurnillaM. Cocceius NervaSergia PlautillaP. Aelius Hadrianus
Titus
(r. 79–81)
Marcia FurnillaMarciaTrajanus PaterNerva
(r. 96–98)
UlpiaAelius Hadrianus Marullinus
Julia FlaviaMarcianaC. Salonius MatidiusTrajan
(r. 98–117)
PlotinaP. Acilius AttianusP. Aelius AferPaulina Major
Lucius Mindius
(2)
Libo Rupilius Frugi
(3)
MatidiaL. Vibius Sabinus
(1)
Paulina MinorL. Julius Ursus Servianus
Matidia MinorSuetonius?SabinaHadrian (r. 117–138)Antinous
Julia Balbilla?C. Fuscus Salinator IJulia Serviana Paulina
M. Annius VerusRupilia FaustinaBoionia ProcillaCn. Arrius Antoninus
L. Ceionius CommodusAppia SeveraC. Fuscus Salinator II
L. Caesennius PaetusArria AntoninaArria FadillaT. Aurelius Fulvus
L. Caesennius AntoninusL. CommodusFundania PlautiaignotaC. Avidius Nigrinus
M. Annius VerusDomitia CalvillaFundaniaM. Annius LiboFAntoninus Pius
(r. 138–161)
L. Aelius CaesarAvidia Plautia
CornificiaM A
(r. 161–180)
F MinorC. Avidius CassiusAurelia FadillaL V
(r. 161–169)
(1)
Ceionia FabiaPlautius QuintillusQ. Servilius PudensCeionia Plautia
Cornificia MinorM. Petronius SuraC
(r. 177–192)
FadillaM. Annius Verus CaesarTi. Claudius Pompeianus
(2)
LucillaM. Plautius QuintillusJunius Licinius BalbusServilia Ceionia
Petronius AntoninusL. Aurelius Agaclytus
(2)
Aurelia SabinaL. Antistius Burrus
(1)
Plautius QuintillusPlautia ServillaC. Furius Sabinus TimesitheusAntonia GordianaJunius Licinius Balbus?
Furia Sabina TranquillinaG III
(r. 238–244)
Q. Marcius Barea SoranusQ. Marcius Barea SuraAntonia FurnillaM. Cocceius NervaSergia PlautillaP. Aelius Hadrianus
Titus
(r. 79–81)
Marcia FurnillaMarciaTrajanus PaterNerva
(r. 96–98)
UlpiaAelius Hadrianus Marullinus
Julia FlaviaMarcianaC. Salonius MatidiusTrajan
(r. 98–117)
PlotinaP. Acilius AttianusP. Aelius AferPaulina Major
Lucius Mindius
(2)
Libo Rupilius Frugi
(3)
MatidiaL. Vibius Sabinus
(1)
Paulina MinorL. Julius Ursus Servianus
Matidia MinorSuetonius?SabinaHadrian (r. 117–138)Antinous
Julia Balbilla?C. Fuscus Salinator IJulia Serviana Paulina
M. Annius VerusRupilia FaustinaBoionia ProcillaCn. Arrius Antoninus
L. Ceionius CommodusAppia SeveraC. Fuscus Salinator II
L. Caesennius PaetusArria AntoninaArria FadillaT. Aurelius Fulvus
L. Caesennius AntoninusL. CommodusFundania PlautiaignotaC. Avidius Nigrinus
M. Annius VerusDomitia CalvillaFundaniaM. Annius LiboFAntoninus Pius
(r. 138–161)
L. Aelius CaesarAvidia Plautia
CornificiaM A
(r. 161–180)
F MinorC. Avidius CassiusAurelia FadillaL V
(r. 161–169)
(1)
Ceionia FabiaPlautius QuintillusQ. Servilius PudensCeionia Plautia
Cornificia MinorM. Petronius SuraC
(r. 177–192)
FadillaM. Annius Verus CaesarTi. Claudius Pompeianus
(2)
LucillaM. Plautius QuintillusJunius Licinius BalbusServilia Ceionia
Petronius AntoninusL. Aurelius Agaclytus
(2)
Aurelia SabinaL. Antistius Burrus
(1)
Plautius QuintillusPlautia ServillaC. Furius Sabinus TimesitheusAntonia GordianaJunius Licinius Balbus?
Furia Sabina TranquillinaG III
(r. 238–244)
  • (1) = 1st spouse
  • (2) = 2nd spouse
  • (3) = 3rd spouse
  •   Reddish purple indicates emperor of the Nerva-Antonine dynasty

      lighter purple indicates designated imperial heir of said dynasty who never reigned

      grey indicates unsuccessful imperial aspirants

      bluish purple indicates emperors of other dynasties
  • dashed lines indicate adoption; dotted lines indicate love affairs/unmarried relationships
  • small caps = posthumously deified (Augusti, Augustae, or other)
  • (1) = 1st spouse
  • (2) = 2nd spouse
  • (3) = 3rd spouse
  •   Reddish purple indicates emperor of the Nerva-Antonine dynasty

      lighter purple indicates designated imperial heir of said dynasty who never reigned

      grey indicates unsuccessful imperial aspirants

      bluish purple indicates emperors of other dynasties
  • dashed lines indicate adoption; dotted lines indicate love affairs/unmarried relationships
  • small caps = posthumously deified (Augusti, Augustae, or other)
Notes:

Except where otherwise noted, the notes below indicate that an individual's parentage is as shown in the above family tree.

  1. ^ Sister of Trajan's father: Giacosa (1977), p. 7.
  2. ^ Giacosa (1977), p. 8.
  3. ^ Levick (2014), p. 161.
  4. ^ Husband of Ulpia Marciana: Levick (2014), p. 161.
  5. ^ Giacosa (1977), p. 7.
  6. ^ DIR contributor (Herbert W. Benario, 2000), "Hadrian".
  7. ^ Giacosa (1977), p. 9.
  8. ^ Husband of Salonia Matidia: Levick (2014), p. 161.
  9. ^ Smith (1870), "Julius Servianus".
  10. ^ Suetonius a possible lover of Sabina: One interpretation of HA Hadrianus 11:3
  11. ^ Smith (1870), "Hadrian", pp. 319–322.
  12. ^ Lover of Hadrian: Lambert (1984), p. 99 and passim; deification: Lamber (1984), pp. 2–5, etc.
  13. ^ Julia Balbilla a possible lover of Sabina: A. R. Birley (1997), Hadrian, the Restless Emperor, p. 251, cited in Levick (2014), p. 30, who is sceptical of this suggestion.
  14. ^ Husband of Rupilia Faustina: Levick (2014), p. 163.
  15. ^ Levick (2014), p. 163.
  16. ^ Levick (2014), p. 162.
  17. ^ Levick (2014), p. 164.
  18. ^ Wife of M. Annius Verus: Giacosa (1977), p. 10.
  19. ^ Wife of M. Annius Libo: Levick (2014), p. 163.
  20. ^ Giacosa (1977), p. 10.
  21. ^ The epitomator of Cassius Dio (72.22) gives the story that Faustina the Elder promised to marry Avidius Cassius. This is also echoed in HA "Marcus Aurelius" 24.
  22. ^ Husband of Ceionia Fabia: Levick (2014), p. 164.
  23. ^ Levick (2014), p. 117.
References:
  • DIR contributors (2000). "De Imperatoribus Romanis: An Online Encyclopedia of Roman Rulers and Their Families". Retrieved 2015-04-14.
  • Giacosa, Giorgio (1977). Women of the Caesars: Their Lives and Portraits on Coins. Translated by R. Ross Holloway. Milan: Edizioni Arte e Moneta. ISBN 0-8390-0193-2.
  • Lambert, Royston (1984). Beloved and God: The Story of Hadrian and Antinous. New York: Viking. ISBN 0-670-15708-2.
  • Levick, Barbara (2014). Faustina I and II: Imperial Women of the Golden Age. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-537941-9.
  • William Smith, ed. (1870). Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology.
Q. Marcius Barea SoranusQ. Marcius Barea SuraAntonia FurnillaM. Cocceius NervaSergia PlautillaP. Aelius Hadrianus
Titus
(r. 79–81)
Marcia FurnillaMarciaTrajanus PaterNerva
(r. 96–98)
UlpiaAelius Hadrianus Marullinus
Julia FlaviaMarcianaC. Salonius MatidiusTrajan
(r. 98–117)
PlotinaP. Acilius AttianusP. Aelius AferPaulina Major
Lucius Mindius
(2)
Libo Rupilius Frugi
(3)
MatidiaL. Vibius Sabinus
(1)
Paulina MinorL. Julius Ursus Servianus
Matidia MinorSuetonius?SabinaHadrian (r. 117–138)Antinous
Julia Balbilla?C. Fuscus Salinator IJulia Serviana Paulina
M. Annius VerusRupilia FaustinaBoionia ProcillaCn. Arrius Antoninus
L. Ceionius CommodusAppia SeveraC. Fuscus Salinator II
L. Caesennius PaetusArria AntoninaArria FadillaT. Aurelius Fulvus
L. Caesennius AntoninusL. CommodusFundania PlautiaignotaC. Avidius Nigrinus
M. Annius VerusDomitia CalvillaFundaniaM. Annius LiboFAntoninus Pius
(r. 138–161)
L. Aelius CaesarAvidia Plautia
CornificiaM A
(r. 161–180)
F MinorC. Avidius CassiusAurelia FadillaL V
(r. 161–169)
(1)
Ceionia FabiaPlautius QuintillusQ. Servilius PudensCeionia Plautia
Cornificia MinorM. Petronius SuraC
(r. 177–192)
FadillaM. Annius Verus CaesarTi. Claudius Pompeianus
(2)
LucillaM. Plautius QuintillusJunius Licinius BalbusServilia Ceionia
Petronius AntoninusL. Aurelius Agaclytus
(2)
Aurelia SabinaL. Antistius Burrus
(1)
Plautius QuintillusPlautia ServillaC. Furius Sabinus TimesitheusAntonia GordianaJunius Licinius Balbus?
Furia Sabina TranquillinaG III
(r. 238–244)
The contents of this page are sourced from Wikipedia article on 13 Jun 2020. The contents are available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license.